Good art in public places is one of the hallmarks of a great city. Here are images of sculptures, monuments, memorials, murals, reliefs, fountains and amenities at public places in Chicago... A Blog dedicated to the Sculpture Community of Chicago... Past, Present and Future...

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Here's some free publicity for Victoria's Secret .. How can one not notice these bright pink wings, especially when one has seen [in virtual and print media] Heidi Klum strutting down the runway in these !
Yes these are the legendary Angel Wings of Victoria's Secret!
It's first ever exhibition ... at Pioneer Court .... made famous when supermodel Heidi Klum wore it in Miami fashion Show, 2008. At 10 feet these are the second largest wings she ever wore, the largest were 12 feet!

Carl Linnaeus [1701-1778] was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature, the international system of naming plants and animals that is still in use today. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology.

He is shown reaching eagerly toward the plants in his path with a collector’s enthusiasm. The prominent bird in the sculpture — a golden plover, which can fly for thousands of miles — refers to the many students of Linnaeus who traveled the globe collecting plants for him to name...

At seven feet tall, this classic male figure captivates the viewer with its height, strong gaze and form .. " The Sower celebrates the Garden's historic relationship with the Art Institute while acknowledging the Garden's dedication to spreading the seeds of learning about plants and the natural world ..

The Sower Alcove.

"The world before us,The world after us,Our actions foretellWe reap what we sow" ..

Sunday, October 11, 2009

[I] Public funding of public art in Chicago.. - City of Chicago's Percent-for-Art Program ..- State of Illinois, Capital Development Board's Art-in-Architecture Program ..- U.S. General Services Administration [GAS] Art-in-Architecture Program ..# Part I: Public funding of public funding.. click here ..

[II] Private funding of public art..Many of the public art pieces are privately funded .. through trust funds and gifts by philanthropists.. and some are privately owned ..- One familiar name is B.F.Ferguson Monument Fund, which has sponsored many public art pieces in Chicago ..- Gift by philanthropists like Kate Sturges Buckingham, Eli Bates, John Crerar, Lambert Tree, Pritzker family.. among others.. - Some are community based organizations..- Some are area based organizations..- Some are gifts by artists..- Some are privately owned..

Part I: Public funding of public art ..
# City of Chicago Public Art Collection ..
# State of Illinois, Capital Development Board's Art-in-Architecture Program ..
# U.S. General Services Administration [GAS] Art-in-Architecture Program ..

By Public Art, we mean any art piece that is exhibited in a public space and is accessible to all .. However, not all public art pieces are publicly financed .. Some are gifts by art patrons to the people of Chicago .. These may be gift by individuals or gift by communities .. Here I bring out some gifts by individuals ..

B. F. Ferguson Monument Fund .. It has funded some of the most notable public monuments and sculptures in Chicago .. The Fund is named after Benjamin Franklin Ferguson [1839 - 1905] who was respected lumber business man of Chicago .. When he died in 1905, through his will, he left $1 million of charitable trust fund to the Art Institute of Chicago, to be known as the B. F. Ferguson Fund .. This fund was to be ..

"entirely and exclusively expended by it under the direction of its Board of Trustees in the erection and maintenance of enduring statuary and monuments, in the whole or in part of stone, granite or bronze, in the parks, along the boulevards or in other public places, within the city of Chicago, Illinois, commemorating worthy men or women of America or important events of American history. The plans or designs for such statuary or monuments and the location of the same shall be determined by the Board of Trustees of such Institute. "

Gift of John Crerar .. John Crerar (1827-1889) was a wealthy industrialist and businessman from Chicago, whose investments were primarily in the railroad industry. He is also well known for his philanthropic efforts. He left $100,000 for a giant statue of Abraham Lincoln .. The John Crerar Trust Fund commissioned Augustus Saint Gaudens for the work ..# Lincoln Statue .. by Augustus Saint-Gaudens..

Gift of Judge Lambert Tree .. Judge Lambert Tree (1832-1910) was a Chicago Circuit Court judge. He who achieved fame by presiding over the indictment, trial, and conviction of corrupt City Council members. A patron of the arts, Judge and his wife had an artists studio constructed "Tree Studios" to provide low cost housing and space for artists , now designated a Chicago Landmark. He also donated the statue of Robert Cavalier de LaSalle to the Lincoln Park ..# LaSalle Monument.. by Count Jacques de La Laing..

Private funding can be by individuals or by communities .. In Part-II, I listed some gifts by individuals to the people of Chicago .. Here I bring out some gifts by different communities, which may be nationality-based, area-based, or even a business community ..

Area based communities .. # Lakeshore Sculpture Exhibit [LES] .. Lincoln Park area ..The Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit is a privately funded, not-for-profit corporation. Sponsors from the community contribute financially, serve on the jury and attend related events. Each year, there are 20 large-scale sculptures on display throughout the 43rd and 44th Wards, extending from Burton on the south to Irving Park on the north and from the lakefront to Southport. The display is from spring of one year to spring of the next year ... The theme changes each year ... Every piece is available for sale at the conclusion of the show. Lakeshore Sculpture Exhibit .. click here .. The official website .. Lakeshore Sculpture Exhibit .. click here ..

# The Greater North Michigan Avenue Association [GNMAA].. .. Near North area ..GNMAA is a community organization that represents the diverse interests within its geographical boundaries - Randolph Street to North Avenue, Lake Michigan to the North Branch Canal .. It was founded in 1912, as the North Central Business District Association, to plan and promote the development and beautification of Michigan Avenue. The Association's name changed to The Greater North Michigan Avenue Association in 1942 to reflect the neighborhood's physical expansion of retail merchants, banks, real estate firms, office buildings and service organizations on the near north side. Till now, the Association retains its original community spirit as volunteer led committees collaborate to preserve, promote and enhance the neighborhood through urban planning and advocacy, marketing and public relations and member events and programs.[ Ref: The Greater North Michigan Avenue Association (GNMAA) .. click here .. ]

My concern here is their sponsoring of public art pieces in the Near North area, especially the Magnificent Mile .. Every spring, the Magnificent Mile celebrates the bloom of hundreds of thousands of vibrant tulips. Alongside there are art installations in the flower-beds ... These are temporary and removed in the winter season .. Like this year the theme for the art installations was the "City Beautiful Movement" .. City Beautiful Art Installations .. click here ..

Monday, October 5, 2009

I find Grant Park to be an incredibly fascinating place with a huge collection of beautiful sculptures, fountains, bridges and railway tracks .. In fact I'm never quite satisfied with my coverage of this place .. and I feel it's one of the underrated places of Chicago! The beauty of Michigan Avenue "streetwall" is a lot due to the open space that Grant Park provides .. So here is another attempt to bring out some of the overlooked features of Grant Park .. like the pedestrian crossings, the railway lines underneath, the street lamp posts, balustrade, corbels, the Y-symbols ..

Rose Gardens ..
Location: East of S. Columbus Dr. (301 E)
north and south of E. Congress Pkwy. (500 S)
Chicago, IL 60605 ..
On the north and south of the Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain are the rose gardens .. These rose gardens have four circular fountains with bronze figures installed in the center of each ..
The South Rose Garden has Dove Girl and Turtle Boy ..
The North Rose Garden has Crane Girl and Fisher Boy ...
Sculptor: Leonard Crunelle
# For more on Figure Fountains: Dove Girl, Turtle Boy, Crane Girl, Fisher Boy by Leonard Crunelle, click here ..

About Me

All the images in this blog and my other blogs, have been produced by me. See and enjoy the images. But please do not use or reproduce any of these images without written permission.
Contact at: jyoti[at]lensimpressions[dot]net